One of the most difficult parts about searching for an apartment in NYC is trying to find your dream home on a strict budget. You think you’re the luckiest person when you find a studio that’s $300 cheaper than what you expected to pay. Then you realize it has zero windows and no fridge space. You need to decide what compromises you are truly willing to make. If you increase your budget just a little more, you may be able to truly get your dream home.

It’s no secret that New York has one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world. Absurdly high rents can get you into absurdly small spaces, probably with some strange roommates. If you’re willing to be just a little bit flexible with your budget, you’ll be surprised by what you can afford and what more you can get in an apartment.
Here are just a few examples of great upgrades in the Financial District with better amenities and higher square footage that you can find during your apartment search for only a few hundred dollars more:

116 John Street

If you increase your budget by $100, you can get a one-bedroom over a studio.

Though both units are the same in size at approximately 650 square feet, the one-bedroom layout is definitely worth the slight price increase. Transforming the studio into a two-bedroom flex will cost up to $800 with the addition of a wall, on top of the monthly rent of $3,050.

Even if you do pay the $800, it’s a fire hazard to have your makeshift wall reach all the way to the ceiling. Do you really want unfiltered access to your roommate rehearsing for his next audition at weird hours of the night? $3,150 a month is worth the peace and quiet.

200 Water Street
If you increase your budget by $190, you can get 49 more square feet… and new renovations!

A studio at 200 Water Street

An updated bathroom, new kitchen appliances, and freshly polished floors can make all the difference.
By paying $2,682 instead of $2,492 a month, you can live in a studio with all these modern renovations. Bonus: the unit also comes with a terrace, which the slightly cheaper option does not!

1 West Street
If you increase your budget by $257, you can get 207 more square feet.

A studio with a home office in the Financial District can be a steal for you and a roommate for just $2,871 a month, but one of you will be living in a windowless room, and the other will have to build theirs entirely with pressurized walls.
A one-bedroom unit in the same building has a net price of only $3,128. Both you and your roommate will have windowed rooms—only one of which will have a pressurized wall—and you get a much more useable living area!

100 John Street

If you increase your budget by $365, you can get 146 more square feet and a terrace!

If you had the option of paying $2,742 a month for 612 square feet, $2,871 a month for 637 square feet, or $3,107 a month for 760 square feet and a terrace, which would you choose?
No one gets excited about an outdoor space like a New Yorker. They can be hard to come by. Sometimes you’re just too lazy to go all the way to Central Park, but you still want fresh air. Start a mini garden, eat your meals outdoors without having to find a restaurant with a patio, and discover your artistic skills by painting the beautiful view from your terrace—all for just $365 more!

A miniscule difference in price can earn you an exponential difference in quality. For help finding apartments like these, with great amenities and ample square footage that don’t break the bank, get in touch with Platinum Properties agent Racquel Popovic today at [email protected] or 516-633-9085.